Chapter 277: Vortex (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 277: Vortex (3)
"N-No...!"
Those were the man's last words, but Amelia paid them no mind and slammed her foot down, crushing his head like a dropped watermelon.
Chomp.
It felt a bit anticlimactic, such a fierce battle ending like this.
"Barbarian." Soon, Amelia's attention turned to me. "You're very injured."
"And you're missing an arm."
"Didn't have enough time."
What's time got to do with it? Are we having two different conversations?
Just when those questions popped into my head, Amelia searched the man's corpse and found a severed arm in his sub-space. "To think he kept it."
The heck? Why is that in there?
I frowned involuntarily, but Amelia just calmly brought the arm to the stump it had been severed from.
You think that's going to stick?
"It'll take a day for the nerves to return to normal." All she did was press it there for about ten seconds, but her arm adhered to her body like she'd glued it on. Seeing as the proportions were just right, it seemed to be her own arm.
Come to think of it, she did say she can't take potions.
I recalled a short conversation I'd had with Amelia in the past, in the sewer.
"...Did you not take a potion?"
"It's because of my body type."
So, she does have that essence.
Spring of Eternal Youth was a passive skill that made the body unable to tolerate any healing effects, including potions, but greatly increased the user's natural healing factor. It was a skill that offered a lot of bang for its buck as it could heal even severed limbs if given enough time.
"B-Bjorn! Arrre you okay?! Why are you so hurt again?!"
Ah, right. Now isn't the time for that.
I belatedly came to my senses and pushed myself off the ground. I was ridiculously curious about what had happened to Missha, but that could wait until later. "I'm okay. Help me move."
"Oh, okay. Come here!"
I hobbled over to my comrades with Missha's help. Everyone gathered in one place.
"Miss Karlstein... I'm so glad you're okay. Mr. Yandel was so worried..."
"Ah, sorry I'm late. There was an incident. But who's that lying on the grrround...?" Then, after seeing the fallen man's face, Missha jumped. "A-Abman?! I-Is he dead...?"
Raven did not answer. She just looked down at her feet, her eyes full of sorrow.
When I removed my hand from her shoulder, Missha hurried over to Mr. Bear and checked him over. "He's... not brrreathing..." Missha turned to me with wide eyes and quickly moved her hand to Mr. Bear's heart. "There's... no pulse either. I-Is he really...?" She dropped her head, unable to finish.
"...Yes," Raven said through a tight throat, sounding like she was about to cry.
You couldn't write a better comedy if you tried.
"Yes" what? Ugh, I'll end up dying first at this rate.
"Why are you killing off someone who's alive and well?" I dragged my tattered body over to Mr. Bear and turned the bracelet on his wrist over so it was visible—No. 7611: The Deceit of the Necromancer. When the wearer took fatal damage, they fell into a state of suspended animation and became immune to all damage for a specified period of time. Of the three jewels on the bracelet, there was now only one that gave off light. "Looks like... it worked fine."
But did Raven not know about this item or something? "Excuse me? What do you...?"
I didn't have the energy for a lengthy explanation, so I just took the stopper off a potion and poured it over Mr. Bear's body.
Chhhhhh.
His slightly dried blood began to boil and form bubbles. That was proof that Mr. Bear was still alive. Potions did not affect someone who had already departed.
"Ersina, what... are you doing? Treat him, quick."
"A-Ah... yes! I will!" When the priestess threw in healing on top of the potion, Mr. Bear's wounds quickly began to close.
Whew, it's safe to say he should survive now.
It was truly a relief that I managed to get to him before the item's effects wore off, that I'd fought through the desire to pass out immediately and stayed awake. Without me, everyone would still have been crying over what they thought was a dead body.
Erwen approached me. "Mister, you come here too. You need treatment quick..."
But it seemed to ensure Mr. Bear's survival had caused all tension to leave my body. "Ah." Yeah, I needed treatment too.
"Huh?"
Just as I was about to take a step forward, the ground began to tilt.
Slump!
That was my last memory of that day.
***
When I woke up, my surroundings were dark. Above me, I could see a sliver of a night sky between the dense trees and dark leaves.
Crackle, crackle!
I heard the sound of a bonfire nearby. The strange sense of coziness made me want to linger in this moment for a little longer.
First thing's first, take stock of the situation.
I dug my fingers into the ground and forced my upper body up off the floor. From my shoulders to my back to my calves, there wasn't a single part of me that wasn't sore. Thanks to my Pain Resistance, though, it was a different sensation from pain.
"Phew." I let out a long breath.
Did she wake at that small sound? The tree-hugger in the sleeping bag beside me rubbed her eyes and poked her face out.
"...Mister! You're awake!" It was Erwen. "Are you feeling okay?"
"...For now," I replied, glancing around at our surroundings. There were several sleeping bags laid out, and it looked like everyone was sleeping.
I guess we're camping out.
When I checked, I could see a translucent barrier holding back a hoard of monsters, a sign that Destruction of Evil was active. Oh, and of course, there was also someone on watch.
"Looks like you're finally awake." Amelia Rainwales was a woman I'd encountered several times by chance before, though I was still unsure whether those encounters were ill-fated or not.
"...What happened?"
"It's been about a day since you fell unconscious. That's all."
Hmm, I don't think I was asking how long it's been.
"I meant why were you with Missha, why were you betrayed by your comrades, and is there anything else I need to know?"
"I see." When I rephrased my question in a way that even a three-year-old child could understand, Amelia nodded. "Ask your teammates, then."
But did Raven not know about this item or something? "Excuse me? What do you...?"
I didn't have the energy for a lengthy explanation, so I just took the stopper off a potion and poured it over Mr. Bear's body.
Chhhhhh.
His slightly dried blood began to boil and form bubbles. That was proof that Mr. Bear was still alive. Potions did not affect someone who had already departed.
"Ersina, what... are you doing? Treat him, quick."
"A-Ah... yes! I will!" When the priestess threw in healing on top of the potion, Mr. Bear's wounds quickly began to close.
Whew, it's safe to say he should survive now.
It was truly a relief that I managed to get to him before the item's effects wore off, that I'd fought through the desire to pass out immediately and stayed awake. Without me, everyone would still have been crying over what they thought was a dead body.
Erwen approached me. "Mister, you come here too. You need treatment quick..."
But it seemed to ensure Mr. Bear's survival had caused all tension to leave my body. "Ah." Yeah, I needed treatment too.
"Huh?"
Just as I was about to take a step forward, the ground began to tilt.
Slump!
That was my last memory of that day.
***
When I woke up, my surroundings were dark. Above me, I could see a sliver of a night sky between the dense trees and dark leaves.
Crackle, crackle!
I heard the sound of a bonfire nearby. The strange sense of coziness made me want to linger in this moment for a little longer.
First thing's first, take stock of the situation.
I dug my fingers into the ground and forced my upper body up off the floor. From my shoulders to my back to my calves, there wasn't a single part of me that wasn't sore. Thanks to my Pain Resistance, though, it was a different sensation from pain.
"Phew." I let out a long breath.
Did she wake at that small sound? The tree-hugger in the sleeping bag beside me rubbed her eyes and poked her face out.
"...Mister! You're awake!" It was Erwen. "Are you feeling okay?"
"...For now," I replied, glancing around at our surroundings. There were several sleeping bags laid out, and it looked like everyone was sleeping.
I guess we're camping out.
When I checked, I could see a translucent barrier holding back a hoard of monsters, a sign that Destruction of Evil was active. Oh, and of course, there was also someone on watch.
"Looks like you're finally awake." Amelia Rainwales was a woman I'd encountered several times by chance before, though I was still unsure whether those encounters were ill-fated or not.
"...What happened?"
"It's been about a day since you fell unconscious. That's all."
Hmm, I don't think I was asking how long it's been.
"I meant why were you with Missha, why were you betrayed by your comrades, and is there anything else I need to know?"
"I see." When I rephrased my question in a way that even a three-year-old child could understand, Amelia nodded. "Ask your teammates, then."
Ha, feisty.
"Erwen, tell me." I redirected my interrogation to Erwen and got the basic rundown.
"I-I don't know where to start... First, I'll start with what happened after you collapsed."
Apparently after I passed out, my comrades were a mess because I had been impossible to treat. Mr. Bear had been unhealable because of the Drake's skill, but the swordsman had gotten me with a poisoned sword, and the wounds were tough to deal with.
"H-He'll definitely die at this rate."
"What? We can just use magic!"
"Detox spells are general fixes—they're not specialized to specific types of poison, so they won't work."
"Th-then what about divine power?"
"This poison is so potent that it's miraculous he even managed to stay on his feet for this long. In my state, I don't have enough divine power to drive it out."
"Bjorn is not the kind of warrior who should die in a place like this! Save him!"
Neutralizing the poison using magic was too difficult, and the priestess was completely drained, making heals impossible. That was when Amelia stepped forward.
"Use this. It's probably an antidote."
Amelia found the antidote in the swordsman's bag and handed it to us, and the poison was neutralized with that.
"Thankfully, the medicine worked great. When we gave you a potion after that, your wounds started to heal."
That ended the recap of my health problems, but what followed was still chaotic. Monsters were still flocking in from all sides, and everyone was in the worst condition possible. Meanwhile, they had to take care of an unconscious me and Mr. Bear, making things even harder.
"Still, thanks to her help... we were able to hold out until the priestess could use Destruction of Evil again."
"Cut to now," I assumed.
"Huh? No. This is our third time taking a break like this."
When Ersina first activated the barrier, apparently things got basically as bloody as when they were fighting the monsters because of none other than Patzran and Amelia.
"We may have had no choice but to join forces until now, but this woman is a plunderer from Noark. She cannot be trusted. She was the one who attacked us in the first place."
"E-Eh?! N-Noark?!"
"You didn't know that while you were traveling with her? You were lucky in many ways."
Patzran did not hide his animosity toward Amelia, and Amelia was no different. She wasn't the one to instigate the hostility, though.
"You're a talkative man. If you want to fight, let's fight."
Confronting his animosity head-on, she poured fuel on the fire of conflict. But just when murderous intent began to fill the barrier, Missha defended Amelia.
"S-Stop it, all of you! I didn't know this woman was from Noark, but... still, she's not a bad perrrson!"
Raven assessed the situation rationally as well and tried to mediate.
"What are we going to do without her? Mr. Patzran, think logically. She was betrayed by her comrades too. I'm sure she won't attack us while there are only two of them left. If she wanted to, she would have done so a long time ago."
Ha, feisty.
"Erwen, tell me." I redirected my interrogation to Erwen and got the basic rundown.
"I-I don't know where to start... First, I'll start with what happened after you collapsed."
Apparently after I passed out, my comrades were a mess because I had been impossible to treat. Mr. Bear had been unhealable because of the Drake's skill, but the swordsman had gotten me with a poisoned sword, and the wounds were tough to deal with.
"H-He'll definitely die at this rate."
"What? We can just use magic!"
"Detox spells are general fixes—they're not specialized to specific types of poison, so they won't work."
"Th-then what about divine power?"
"This poison is so potent that it's miraculous he even managed to stay on his feet for this long. In my state, I don't have enough divine power to drive it out."
"Bjorn is not the kind of warrior who should die in a place like this! Save him!"
Neutralizing the poison using magic was too difficult, and the priestess was completely drained, making heals impossible. That was when Amelia stepped forward.
"Use this. It's probably an antidote."
Amelia found the antidote in the swordsman's bag and handed it to us, and the poison was neutralized with that.
"Thankfully, the medicine worked great. When we gave you a potion after that, your wounds started to heal."
That ended the recap of my health problems, but what followed was still chaotic. Monsters were still flocking in from all sides, and everyone was in the worst condition possible. Meanwhile, they had to take care of an unconscious me and Mr. Bear, making things even harder.
"Still, thanks to her help... we were able to hold out until the priestess could use Destruction of Evil again."
"Cut to now," I assumed.
"Huh? No. This is our third time taking a break like this."
When Ersina first activated the barrier, apparently things got basically as bloody as when they were fighting the monsters because of none other than Patzran and Amelia.
"We may have had no choice but to join forces until now, but this woman is a plunderer from Noark. She cannot be trusted. She was the one who attacked us in the first place."
"E-Eh?! N-Noark?!"
"You didn't know that while you were traveling with her? You were lucky in many ways."
Patzran did not hide his animosity toward Amelia, and Amelia was no different. She wasn't the one to instigate the hostility, though.
"You're a talkative man. If you want to fight, let's fight."
Confronting his animosity head-on, she poured fuel on the fire of conflict. But just when murderous intent began to fill the barrier, Missha defended Amelia.
"S-Stop it, all of you! I didn't know this woman was from Noark, but... still, she's not a bad perrrson!"
Raven assessed the situation rationally as well and tried to mediate.
"What are we going to do without her? Mr. Patzran, think logically. She was betrayed by her comrades too. I'm sure she won't attack us while there are only two of them left. If she wanted to, she would have done so a long time ago."
Of course, the parties in question did not even try to listen to logic.
"You mean I should let go of my grudge just because things are different now? That woman hurt Drous and even went as far as to send people after us. If we hadn't managed to handle it, we would be dead."
"How unfortunate. If you'd died then, I wouldn't have had to hear this whining of yours now."
"What did you say? You plunderer bitch...!"
Patzran drew his second sword, which he carried as a backup, and Amelia drew her dagger and faced him.
"Yes. Wise choice, Mr. Patzran."
Patzran did not end up swinging his sword. I didn't know him that well, but I knew he wasn't that stupid.
"I'm keeping my eyes on you, so don't even think about pulling something funny."
After that, an uncomfortable break followed. Once the barrier was lifted, they fought monsters again, and once the cooldown time of Destruction of Evil passed, they took a break. It was during the second break that Mr. Bear woke up.
"Haha... keep today a secret from my wife. She'll definitely make me stop working as an adventurer."
Mr. Bear worried about the fallout of today's events as soon as he woke up but quickly recovered his energy and joined the front line.
"From that point on, the monsters showing up suddenly changed."
While I was unconscious, the third wave had begun. The mini-boss was a rank-four monster. The priestess got hit by the boss and knocked out, and there were some other close calls, but Amelia got us through it by playing the role of main damage dealer.
"Essence?"
"None."
Hah, of course. Is it just the final boss left now? I really hope that guy will drop an essence. Well, before that, I should probably worry about whether we'll be able to kill it or not.
Many thoughts filled my mind but I set them all aside and continued listening to Erwen's story. There wasn't much else to it. Her explanation was long-winded, but in the end, all that happened was more fighting, breaks, and continued tension between Patzran and Amelia.
"So that's how we got to now."
"Yes, did that sate your curiosity?" asked Erwen.
"Somewhat. Thanks. You must be tired too. Get some rest."
"...It's okay. I'll stay by your side."
Mm, I mean, that's not really necessary, but...
It would probably be weird for me to say something here.
"But, Mister, um... Shouldn't you wake Sis?"
"Missha? It's fine. She knows I'm alive and physically all right, so why wake her up? Let her sleep."
Just look at how no one is waking up even as we're talking right next to them.
They must have been exhausted from the arduous battles. We could talk later. It was time to listen to the other side of the story now.
"Long time no see, Amelia." I got out of the sleeping bag completely, sat down in front of the campfire, and expressed my thanks. "Earlier... No, thank you for helping me yesterday."
"You talk a lot for a barbarian. Just ask me what you want to ask."
Barbarians can talk too, you know...
Of course, the parties in question did not even try to listen to logic.
"You mean I should let go of my grudge just because things are different now? That woman hurt Drous and even went as far as to send people after us. If we hadn't managed to handle it, we would be dead."
"How unfortunate. If you'd died then, I wouldn't have had to hear this whining of yours now."
"What did you say? You plunderer bitch...!"
Patzran drew his second sword, which he carried as a backup, and Amelia drew her dagger and faced him.
"Yes. Wise choice, Mr. Patzran."
Patzran did not end up swinging his sword. I didn't know him that well, but I knew he wasn't that stupid.
"I'm keeping my eyes on you, so don't even think about pulling something funny."
After that, an uncomfortable break followed. Once the barrier was lifted, they fought monsters again, and once the cooldown time of Destruction of Evil passed, they took a break. It was during the second break that Mr. Bear woke up.
"Haha... keep today a secret from my wife. She'll definitely make me stop working as an adventurer."
Mr. Bear worried about the fallout of today's events as soon as he woke up but quickly recovered his energy and joined the front line.
"From that point on, the monsters showing up suddenly changed."
While I was unconscious, the third wave had begun. The mini-boss was a rank-four monster. The priestess got hit by the boss and knocked out, and there were some other close calls, but Amelia got us through it by playing the role of main damage dealer.
"Essence?"
"None."
Hah, of course. Is it just the final boss left now? I really hope that guy will drop an essence. Well, before that, I should probably worry about whether we'll be able to kill it or not.
Many thoughts filled my mind but I set them all aside and continued listening to Erwen's story. There wasn't much else to it. Her explanation was long-winded, but in the end, all that happened was more fighting, breaks, and continued tension between Patzran and Amelia.
"So that's how we got to now."
"Yes, did that sate your curiosity?" asked Erwen.
"Somewhat. Thanks. You must be tired too. Get some rest."
"...It's okay. I'll stay by your side."
Mm, I mean, that's not really necessary, but...
It would probably be weird for me to say something here.
"But, Mister, um... Shouldn't you wake Sis?"
"Missha? It's fine. She knows I'm alive and physically all right, so why wake her up? Let her sleep."
Just look at how no one is waking up even as we're talking right next to them.
They must have been exhausted from the arduous battles. We could talk later. It was time to listen to the other side of the story now.
"Long time no see, Amelia." I got out of the sleeping bag completely, sat down in front of the campfire, and expressed my thanks. "Earlier... No, thank you for helping me yesterday."
"You talk a lot for a barbarian. Just ask me what you want to ask."
Barbarians can talk too, you know...
Well, whatever. Getting straight to the point was always a welcome change. "What happened with Missha?"
"Did you not hear about it from that elf?"
"I thought I should hear it from your own mouth."
"...Tsk." Amelia clicked her tongue in apparent annoyance, but surprisingly did not complain much and told me what happened. She had been betrayed by Carmilla and Belverson and, while running away, had encountered Missha and gotten help from her. I was very surprised by what followed.
"What? A Destruction of Evil scroll? You had something as valuable as that?" The techniques for crafting these divine scrolls had disappeared a long time ago and they were no longer made. They were priceless treasures.
Where the hell did she get— Oh. She probably looted it.
"Ahem, sorry for interrupting. Keep going."
"That's a nasty look in your eyes."
"You're just imagining things."
Thanks to the Destruction of Evil scroll, Amelia and Missha were able to survive the wave of monsters. After that, they had physically recovered enough to move.
"I still don't understand. How did the two of you get through all those monsters and get this far?"
"...There's an essence. One that prevents monsters from attacking you first."
Oh, you have that essence? But why absorb that one if you're a scout? You could just bring along a priest to handle that... Ah, wait, there are no priests in Noark.
And come to think of it, she was a plunderer. That essence would have been very useful for wandering alone in the labyrinth.
"So, is that the last of your questions?"
"No, I have a few more."
"Ask."
"Do you know what caused the island to become like this?" Who had triggered the special event on this island?
My question was a bit vague, but Amelia gave me an answer. "Carmilla and Belverson messed with the Achievements of Gabrielius. When I got away from them alive, I guess they figured they had to trap me here somehow and eliminate me."
Hmm, so that's the story.
One of those two might have been a player as well. The Achievements of Gabrielius denoted a hidden element, but it seemed that few players even knew about the secret event on this island in the first place.
"Is this what that summoner woman told you while you were interrogating her?"
"Yes."
"What did you do to her?"
"I don't believe in being merciful toward traitors."
So she killed her. Ugh, why kill her after barely managing to capture her alive?
I couldn't hold back my sigh of disappointment. After all, that woman was a rare kind of adventurer who could summon and control a flying beast. We could have used her to escape this island right away.
But what's done is done.
Instead of blaming Amelia and hurting our relationship, I turned my attention elsewhere. "Anyway, did you find what you were looking for?"
Amelia went silent as if she were debating whether to answer me or not.
"Hey," I wheedled, "what's there to hide between the two of us now?"
"Hmm? Between us?"
"I saved your life, after all."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you think Missha would have saved you if we didn't know each other?"
Amelia seemed to agree with that logic as she didn't argue. She just clicked her tongue and answered my question. "The item was retrieved. Contrary to his claim that it was hidden, it was right in his sub-space."
"Somehow, I had a feeling it would be. There's no way those guys would let that treasure out of their sight."
"Then is that the last of your questions?"
No, of course not.
"Just one more," I said before finally asking, "What is the item? From what I've heard, it sounds like it's powerful enough to change history—"
"Stop." Amelia cut me off firmly, her forehead creasing.
Oops, was this a touchy subject? "Don't answer if you don't want to. I was just asking out of curiosity!" Noticing the tight corners of Amelia's mouth, I quickly made an excuse insisting that I didn't intend to pry. But did I misread the situation?
Amelia stared off into space and made a random remark. "Monster."
...Monster?
Shaaa!
As soon as I tilted my head, a powerful wind blew through our campsite from all directions, shaking the nearby tree branches. Only then did I realize what she was talking about. Jeez, and I had wanted to rest a little longer.
"There's a monster in this area. At least rank three. Go wake your comrades."
So, the last wave had begun after all.
Well, whatever. Getting straight to the point was always a welcome change. "What happened with Missha?"
"Did you not hear about it from that elf?"
"I thought I should hear it from your own mouth."
"...Tsk." Amelia clicked her tongue in apparent annoyance, but surprisingly did not complain much and told me what happened. She had been betrayed by Carmilla and Belverson and, while running away, had encountered Missha and gotten help from her. I was very surprised by what followed.
"What? A Destruction of Evil scroll? You had something as valuable as that?" The techniques for crafting these divine scrolls had disappeared a long time ago and they were no longer made. They were priceless treasures.
Where the hell did she get— Oh. She probably looted it.
"Ahem, sorry for interrupting. Keep going."
"That's a nasty look in your eyes."
"You're just imagining things."
Thanks to the Destruction of Evil scroll, Amelia and Missha were able to survive the wave of monsters. After that, they had physically recovered enough to move.
"I still don't understand. How did the two of you get through all those monsters and get this far?"
"...There's an essence. One that prevents monsters from attacking you first."
Oh, you have that essence? But why absorb that one if you're a scout? You could just bring along a priest to handle that... Ah, wait, there are no priests in Noark.
And come to think of it, she was a plunderer. That essence would have been very useful for wandering alone in the labyrinth.
"So, is that the last of your questions?"
"No, I have a few more."
"Ask."
"Do you know what caused the island to become like this?" Who had triggered the special event on this island?
My question was a bit vague, but Amelia gave me an answer. "Carmilla and Belverson messed with the Achievements of Gabrielius. When I got away from them alive, I guess they figured they had to trap me here somehow and eliminate me."
Hmm, so that's the story.
One of those two might have been a player as well. The Achievements of Gabrielius denoted a hidden element, but it seemed that few players even knew about the secret event on this island in the first place.
"Is this what that summoner woman told you while you were interrogating her?"
"Yes."
"What did you do to her?"
"I don't believe in being merciful toward traitors."
So she killed her. Ugh, why kill her after barely managing to capture her alive?
I couldn't hold back my sigh of disappointment. After all, that woman was a rare kind of adventurer who could summon and control a flying beast. We could have used her to escape this island right away.
But what's done is done.
Instead of blaming Amelia and hurting our relationship, I turned my attention elsewhere. "Anyway, did you find what you were looking for?"
Amelia went silent as if she were debating whether to answer me or not.
"Hey," I wheedled, "what's there to hide between the two of us now?"
"Hmm? Between us?"
"I saved your life, after all."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you think Missha would have saved you if we didn't know each other?"
Amelia seemed to agree with that logic as she didn't argue. She just clicked her tongue and answered my question. "The item was retrieved. Contrary to his claim that it was hidden, it was right in his sub-space."
"Somehow, I had a feeling it would be. There's no way those guys would let that treasure out of their sight."
"Then is that the last of your questions?"
No, of course not.
"Just one more," I said before finally asking, "What is the item? From what I've heard, it sounds like it's powerful enough to change history—"
"Stop." Amelia cut me off firmly, her forehead creasing.
Oops, was this a touchy subject? "Don't answer if you don't want to. I was just asking out of curiosity!" Noticing the tight corners of Amelia's mouth, I quickly made an excuse insisting that I didn't intend to pry. But did I misread the situation?
Amelia stared off into space and made a random remark. "Monster."
...Monster?
Shaaa!
As soon as I tilted my head, a powerful wind blew through our campsite from all directions, shaking the nearby tree branches. Only then did I realize what she was talking about. Jeez, and I had wanted to rest a little longer.
"There's a monster in this area. At least rank three. Go wake your comrades."
So, the last wave had begun after all.